Advertisements
Aquatic Avenue Banner Tropica Shop Banner Fishy Business Banner
Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Rescaping advices

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    185
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Rescaping advices

    Advertisements
    Fresh n Marine aQuarium Banner

    Advertise here

    Advertise here
    Hi,

    lately my tank had been overrun by algae.
    This time it's quite serious and I think it's too much work saving. I'll be rescaping after Chinese new year I guess I better start planning now.

    I understand the best way is to tear down everything and start over. I do however wish to keep all my livestock with me.

    Right now I have an extra filter with me, I don't mind buying a cheap 2nd hand tank to temporarily house them until the rescaping is done.

    I'll been thinking for days but still unsure how to execute it.
    Do I hook the main filter to the quarantine tank while moving in the fish or do I cycle the quarantine tank with my extra filter before moving them in? Do I need lights on the quarantine tank? I do not have extra lights...

    I'm not sure if it's worth the trouble, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Posts
    218
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    If im in your shoe, i will use the main filter for the makeshift tank, plus anything that can shift over from your main tank. And test water parameter regularly. and u can shift the light too

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Central
    Posts
    2,772
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    You mean this tank?

    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Singapore / East
    Posts
    369
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    14
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    How long will your rescaping take? Mine usually done within a day. I will fill a pail with the original tank water throw in an air stone and move the life stock over.
    I wash my filter media with the main tank water and then leave them in the pail with the fishes and air stone.

    Let the water clear up after rescaping then I move the fish back in. I re-scape my tank every year this way, so far so good.

    I don't put lights over the pail, I just use newspaper to cover it to prevent fish from jumping out.
    What kind of fishes or shrimps you have in the tank now?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    185
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    @torque6,

    Ya thats the tank, the balance of the tank kept shifting till it went out of control. It happened so fast then suddenly I was hit hard by all kinds of algae lol.

    @PKB, TTerry

    Not sure how long I'll need, think I'm comfortable with 2-3 days. The filter really gives me a headache. With the algae issues now I feel the need to nuke the equipment and bio media before reusing as I don't want to reintroduce them to the new tank. Not sure if there's a way to nuke my main filter and keep my livestock at the same time.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Central
    Posts
    2,772
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    Any photos on how "bad" it is?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    185
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    Pretty bad, things are going well until I did a water change in the evening as I had things to do the next day. I always do water change when the lights are on so any lost co2 can get replenish.

    That day after the water change I forgot to dose excel. Within the next few days bba and algae starts showing up. In a week's time the tank's completely over run.

    I understand that iwagumi is demanding but this is getting ridiculous lol. I feel like the punishment for forgetting to dose excel is a bit harsh although it might be something else.

    I'm going to rescape it to something less demanding. I'm looking for possible ways to keep my fishes during the rescaping process. Some of them had been with me for a year now I'll like to keep them for the new tank if it's possible.



    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    4,194
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    Consider adding a wavemaker into the tank . This would help to eliminate dead spot , which you did not notice and also churn the water column so that the solid particles stay in the water column and would be filtered out by your filtration equipment instead of settling on your foreground to rot and feed the algae .
    If you've learnt, teach, if you have, give.
    Don't walk behind me as I might not lead, don't walk in front of me as I might not follow. Walk beside me, as my friend.
    Mohamad Rohaizal is my name. If it's too hard, use BFG. I don't mind.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Central
    Posts
    2,772
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    Quote Originally Posted by BFG View Post
    Consider adding a wavemaker into the tank . This would help to eliminate dead spot , which you did not notice and also churn the water column so that the solid particles stay in the water column and would be filtered out by your filtration equipment instead of settling on your foreground to rot and feed the algae .
    I have to politely disagree. This is barely a 64L tank. Adding a 1000L wavemaker (smallest size you can buy locally) will result in a washing machine effect. All the shrimps and fishes will get blown till kingdom come. In addition, this is an iwagumi scape, so no obstructions to flow.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Central
    Posts
    2,772
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    Quote Originally Posted by j.c.koh View Post
    Pretty bad, things are going well until I did a water change in the evening as I had things to do the next day. I always do water change when the lights are on so any lost co2 can get replenish.


    That day after the water change I forgot to dose excel. Within the next few days bba and algae starts showing up. In a week's time the tank's completely over run.


    I understand that iwagumi is demanding but this is getting ridiculous lol. I feel like the punishment for forgetting to dose excel is a bit harsh although it might be something else.


    I'm going to rescape it to something less demanding. I'm looking for possible ways to keep my fishes during the rescaping process. Some of them had been with me for a year now I'll like to keep them for the new tank if it's possible.


    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

    Really looks bad ....

    I've been in this hobby for more than a decade now, and among my many hobbies, it's one of the most unforgiving due to the nature of things. It's quite frustrating at times. Based on some of my suggestions in your previous thread, I did mentioned that this would be a challenging scape 1) because it's iwagumi aquascape (absence of fast growing plants) 2) high light 3) nano 2 feet tank (where both 2+3 = things go wrong fast).

    Your tank has already pass the 1 year mark I think, so it's a already a good effort. Do not penalize yourself over it.

    You are also not being punish by not adding excel. Excel to me is just a bandaid to minimise algae. Not adding it just showed you the extend and the truth of the underlying problems.

    With high light, small tank etc, everything grows nice and fast quickly, that's why it's popular I guess, but subsequently, things do get out of hand. And I don't mean out of hand in a few months time, it seems to be that 1 year mark before things go south. It's like a time bomb, waiting for you to make a mistake like missing out on water changes, solenoid failure, so no co2, didn't dose ferts cause away for vacation etc etc. But of course, I have seen iwagumi tanks with no issues, but the kind of effort and intricateness involve in maintaining those tanks isn't for the mainstream hobbyist.

    If you are going to rescape and keep the fish/ shrimps, just do a quarantine tank. No need to get glass tank, a hamster tank (55L) plastic one will do @ $28. I think seaview or That aquarium may have, the 60cm one. Seed a sponge filter or use back your current filter in your quarantine till the new rescape is ready in 3- 4 weeks than add back the fish/ fauna. Not sure about keeping shrimp / fish though in the same tank cause bare bottom have no place to hide.

    However, do note that your scape will be limited if you wish to use back your high powered ADA aquasky. You can check TTerry's thread, his scape may work with high out light, but I believe it's alot of trimmings.

    The crust of this hobby has always been these 2 points.
    1) The smaller tank -> less stable water parameters
    2) The higher output the light -> the faster things grow and can go wrong.

    Both Jacky and my tank pass the 1 year mark. Both of us using Chihiros A series with level 3/4 (mid PAR), both of us have minimum issues with algae. And I honestly don't believe that's a coincidence.

    Good luck in your new scape.
    Last edited by torque6; 25th Dec 2017 at 01:25.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    185
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    Thanks for the help, I'll post an update soon.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    1,677
    Feedback Score
    1 (100%)
    Images
    1
    Country
    Singapore

    Re: Rescaping advices

    your tank don't look as bad as mine.. :P try to love algae
    mine is badly infested with bba... and is still infested
    trying ways to minimize it... and I see plants growing out of it and having lesser and lesser black patches..
    Actually 1 year is about time to rescape as fingers do gets itchy over time.
    My suggestion for you is to get a toyogo plastic container, those big rectangle ones with cover, and run your filter with half of your tank water and half fresh water. then start your decom path..
    After you have rescape your tank, the toyogo container can be used to store your barang barang, so you will have lesser headache of thinkning to sell or keep the tank, having say that, it might be an excuse for you to start another tank if you chose to get a glass tank:P

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    897
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Vietnam

    Re: Rescaping advices

    Hi bro JC,

    Happy New Year!

    It is OK to re-scape the tank if things are getting worse. You are looking for something better.
    I hope that experience that you have gained is the thing that counts.

    To keep your live stocks, you need to have:
    - Storage: Better to have a temporary tank. Can get a cheap 2nd hand one, 1ft-1.5ft should be suffice. All the tank at fish shop they use the same size, even smaller.
    - Matured media filter materials: You can have a cheap hang-on filter, like Dophin H300 (430L/hrs) filled with “seasoned media filter”. That “seasoned media filter” can be seeded from your current tank.
    - Air pump: I think this would help to keep your fishes feeling better in the temporary tank.
    - You can use the old water in the current tank for the temporary holding tank. Basically, just shift all the fauna there temporary.

    To disinfect the tank / filter before use:
    - Tank can be thoroughly clean with baking soda+vinegar / lemon. I saw some clean with bleach and thoroughly clean with water too. :P But the first method should be safer?
    - If you like to nuke the filter media, hoses, etc… can just use boiled water. I used to boil all the media filter materials and I don’t think any algae could survive. Also, can dips those hoses in hot water for disinfection, too. Filter body- can use hot water for disinfection, but use with care, since it can make it crack. You can use diluted bleach as well to clean the lily pipes / filter body. Just make sure to thoroughly clean it before using in new tank.
    - Anything you feel that you can boil for disinfect, just do that. I think it is very good method. Killing everything!

    Keep us updated on your progress! Cheers!

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •